Wind-wheel



KNO Model.)

J. S. ROHRER.

WIND WHEEL.

Patented-Sept, 15,1885.

AHM y l UNITED" STATES PATENT? OFFICE.

.l JOHNv S. ROHRER, OE LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,157, dated SeptemberslS, 1885.

Application medoc/toter 11,` 1884. (No mdem To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN S. ROHRER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Wind-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wind-wheels in which the axis of the wheel is vertical; and the objects of my improvements are, first, to construct a wheel which will always revolve in the same direction; second,

to throw all the wind upon the blades of the wheel; third, to prevent any of the wind from passing through the center of said wheel; and, fourth, to prevent too rapid movement of said wheel by means of an automatic brake. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is a side view of the device. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through x w. Fig. 3 'is an end View ofthe vane and automatic brake.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The frame within Which the wheel is held is composed of an upper platform, A, and a lower one, B, the upper being supported by the posts a, which rest upon the platform B. The wheel has a vertical central shaft, (l, which is journaled in the centers of the said platforms A and B. Two or more horizontal spiders, c, are rigidly attached to the shaft, the arms c' of which spiders support the blades D of the wheel, there being an arm for each blade. The blades are vertical and ot' such width as may be deemed necessary. In order to prevent the passage of the wind into and through` the heart of the wheel, and to secure its full action upon the blades, a vertical guard, d, of the same length Vas the blades, is placed so as to connect the inner edge of each blade with the outer edge of the one next back of it, in order to completely close that space and prevent the passage of any air through it.

I desire particularly to avoid the shock and jar to the wheel and its connections occasioned by the change in the direction of the revolution of the wheel. Tothis end I have placed vertical wind-guides E about the wheel,which are secured to the upper and lower frame platforms, A and B, and they are set at such an angle that no matter from what direction the wind blows, it will beso guided as to act on the wheel in but one direction. I have set my wind-guides so that the outer or acute angle they form with the radius of the wheel passing through their inner ends shall be one of about fifty or fifty-ve degrees, more or less.

At the upper-end of the shaft C, and above the top platform, there is a friction-pulley, ci,

upon which the brake about to be described acts.

Supported by posts f, above the top plate, A, there is a roof, F, from a framing under which there descends a vane-rod, G, over the center of the pulley c2, to which the vane H is attached. The lower end of the rod may be pointed and rest in a corresponding depression in the center of the pulley; but this is only for the purpose of preventing vibration of the' lower end of the rod, for the rod is immovably fastened above and is not in any way affected by the revolutions of the wind-wheel shaft.

Near the vane-rod G, on the tail end side of the vane, there is a wind-brake fastened. It consists of a lever, L, having its fulcrum in the lower half of the vane-tail at N, which carries a broad blade, M, at its upper end, and a footpiece, Z, at its lower end, constructed to engage the pulley c". The lever embraces the vane, and the point at which the slot through which the vane passes ceases above is arranged to come on the inner slope of the vane-tail and near enough to its upper surface to prevent the blade M falling back over the body of said tail; and as the fulcrum is in the lower part of the said body of the tail, the tendency of the blade M, unless acted upon by pressure, is toward the vane-rod G, thus keeping the footpiece free from the pulley. A small pin, r,pro jects from the vane near'the rod G, which prevents the bladeM from striking saidrod. When the wind is of such force as to drive the wheel too rapidly, it acts to force back the blade M and apply the foot-piece to the pulley. The blade is provided with a damper-like regulator, m, by means of which the amount of surface of said face eXposedto the wind can be regulated.

When it is desirable to stop the work of my wheel,Ido not stop the movement of the wheel itself, but disconnect the machinery upon IOC which it is operating. I support my Wndguards for preventing the passage of the Wind Wheel and its accompanying mechanism herebetween said b1ades,substantial1y as set forth. in described by a frame-Work, the posts of 2. The combination, with the pulley c2 of Which are connected with it at the corners and the shaft C, of the vane-rod Gr, the vane H, and

5 extend to the roof F, thus embracing between the lever L, having the blade M, and foot-piece r 5 the supports al1 the machinery. Z, substantially as herein specified.

What I claim as my invention, and desire JOHN S. ROHRER. to secure by Letters Patent, is- Witnesses:

1. The combination, in awind-Wheel, of the H. CARPENTER,

1c blades upon which the Wind acts with the WM. R. GERHART. 

